Dentsu buys stake in Japan's Digital GarageDentsu is buying a stake in Japanese agency Digital Garage and will partner with the agency to create business intelligence and digital marketing services. A creator of customized versions of Twitter and LinkedIn in Japan, Digital Garage also recently bought Photozou from Zynga for photo sharing. "Since the Digital Garage Group holds a significant amount of data through the management of Internet media and provision of e-commerce settlement platforms, and Dentsu offers a huge variety of solutions in the digital domain, their strengths are complementary," the companies said in a joint statement. MediaPost Communications/MediaDailyNews
(12/27)

Eye on Marketing

Building a direct B2B sales program requires sensitivityFocus first on the user experience when building a B2B site for direct sales, Michael Chuma writes -- one of 10 tips presented in this article. Think about servicing small and niche customers first so as to not undercut resellers, and build up a track record within the organization with a slow roll out of measurable services. Consider a commission program for those who might be cut out of the sales loop and resisting the change internally, Chuma adds. Multichannel Merchant
(12/27)

Marketers fled to digital to escape election, superstormThe flood of negative ads during the 2012 election cycle, along with the impact of Hurricane Sandy, led many brands to hunker down and cut back on TV advertising, MarketShare executive Pat LaPointe says. A better strategy, however, was to switch some of the unused TV budget to targeted digital campaigns, LaPointe says. "This allowed them to continue to engage those people who were still in consumption mode vs. those who were largely in survival mode," he explains. eMarketer
(12/28)

Tech Edge

Microsoft exec: Google is an ad company, not an app companyAn executive from Microsoft said Google "has not yet shown they are truly serious," about building applications for the enterprise, calling the Internet giant "an advertising company." The comments came from Julia White, general manager of Microsoft's business division, Dara Kerr writes, and point to nascent competition between the companies. CNET
(12/27)

Want innovation? Fake it until you make itYou can't force innovation, but you can create situations that put you under artificial pressure to be more creative, writes Jeff Haden. Setting fake time limits or budget constraints, pretending there are no rules holding you back or intentionally producing lousy ideas can all lead to meaningful breakthroughs, he argues. Inc. online (free registration)
(12/27)

Professionals need to cultivate 3 types of networksThere are three types of networks that you need to be happy and successful, says Lynda Gratton, a London Business School professor. One of these networks is your "posse," which is a circle of trusted colleagues who have similar objectives to you. Your "regenerative community" is composed of people who you have personal connections with. And your "big idea crowd" includes people who will expose you to unfamiliar ideas, she says. Harvard Business Review online/HBR Blog Network
(12/27)

BMA Philadelphia -- Event -- Digital EvolutionThis event will be held Wednesday, Jan. 16, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Urban Saloon, 2120 Fairmount Ave. in Philadelphia. Many business organizations are now using social media, but very few are doing it right. Brandon Rost, Founder of BE Marketing, will discuss how today's Digital Evolution has impacted the ways in which we market our businesses and communicate with our clients. Your business can't afford to get this one wrong; you need to know how to successfully integrate these valuable digital channels into your marketing mix. The presentation will focus on today's driving factors in digital marketing and showcase several best practices for marketing in the 21st century. Read more.